Check-in staff at Heathrow’s Terminal 3 are threatening strike action over changes to work rosters they say hit childcare arrangements.
The 60 staff, predominantly women, work for ground-handler SGS – part of the SAS Scandinavian Airlines group – and check in passengers for Emirates, Etihad Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways and Air China as well as SAS.
Their union, the T&G section of Unite, said talks at conciliation service Acas had failed following a 79% vote in favour of striking in a recent ballot. The T&G accuses SGS of imposing changes that require part-time staff to work six days in a row rather than five.
SAS announced on Wednesday that it will review its SGS operations as part of a general group restructure. Chief executive Mats Jansson said: “We have to abandon the strike culture that has long existed at SAS.”
No strike dates have been set, but the T&G warned of action “in the next few weeks”.